Building construction.



G. M. NEWHALL.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APB..29,190'T. 902 898 Patented Nov. 3, 1908. 4 8HEETSSHEET 1,

UUHHU UU UHU mwmmmmmmmmwmmmmmmmmwgmmmmmm EMEEMWEEEEEMEEEEMWEEEUME EEEHEEEEEEEEEEE Emmmmmmnmmmmngmmmmmmmmmmmm EEmmm-@Egmmmmmmmmmmmnmmmmmm mmmnmmmmmm mmmmmmm@ mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm .HZHUU n, HUUB G. M. NEWHALL. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIGATIDN FILED APRI 29, 190'?` Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 'dgn/@Wm G. M. NEWHALL.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. as, 1907.

902,898, Patented N0v.3,190s.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 34 `plan' views of said building,

' sectional view, illustrating PATENT OFFICE.-

GEORGE M. NEWHALL. or rHiLAnELPHIA.l PENNsYLvAN/i.

' BUILDING coiijsTnUoTioN.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented Nov.4 3. 1908.

Application tiled April 29,' 1907. Serial IIa-3711379.

To all whomz't 'ma/y concern:

. Be it known that'I, 'GEORGE NEWIIAnL,

a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Philadelphia,4 Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements tion, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention relates to fliuildingr construction, and thei object of my invention is to provide a building ofsuch character, shape and Adesign ,as to present the maximum resistance to forces or elements that would tend to destroy the same, such building being vespecially intended to be earthquakeproof, fand proof against fire resulting from earthquake.

My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

' Figure 1, is a sectional elevation of a building embodying my invention,f taken'on the line a-o, Fig. 2; Figs. 2 and 3, are sectional taken on the mes b--b and c-c, respectively, Fi 1; Fig. 4, is a sectional elevation of a mo lified form of building embodying my invention,

taken on the line dd, Fig. 5; Figs. 5 and 6, aresectional plan views .of such modified structure, taken on the lines @'e and f-f, respectively; Fig. 4', and Fig.- 7, is a detached a detail of `my iuvcntion.

The improvements in building construc- `tion forming the subject of my invention,

comprise the use of curved walls formin as a main structure 'abuilding having its wa ls on the arc of one or more circles, with which may be combined other curved wall extensions as convenient o1 desirable, or as the shapeof the site may refuire or demand.

In one instance, an em odiment of my in- `ventionmay comprise a substantiall circular building having an annular corri or on each floor situated intermediate the inner and'outer walls, with rooms disposed in radial lines from' the center or centers, and extending between said corridor and the inner and outer walls; such buildinghavin semicircular or other curved exterlor ad itions,

preferably set at equidistant points. Other instances of the same-generalA character of construction and embodying my invention might comprise a main or central building having curved or -seinicircular extensions set on any radial line extending therefrom, such extensions gradually decreasing in area of floor surface and exposed Wall surface.,

44The building embodying my invention as in Building Construclspace s ace inclosed by the inner wall forming a" between the inner and outer wa 4ridors 5.

illustrated in Figs., 1, 2 and 3, comprises apair of curvedwalls 1 and 2, concentrically disposed to form a substantially cylindricalstructure and `inclosing between said walls .for roonisor oflices 3`as desired.; the light well 4, open at the top. Such building may be of any convenient height, divided into as many floors as desired. By preference, corridors A5 are disposedsubstantiall" midway llys forming said building; such corridors dividing the series of rooms or offices disposed within the same on leach floor and affording communication with the latter.

incertain points, which may be e uidis-l tant from each other, 4and on radia lines crossing each other at right angles, I provide curved or seinicircular proyecting portions,

four iny number, extending from the base of the building, or the ground iioor, as may be desired, to the roof; such projecting portions having radial entranceways 6 at the ground floor communicating with the annular cor- Each floor is also provided with radial corridors 7 vcrossing the corridor 5 preferably at points cquidistant from each other. Adjacent said radial communicating passageways or entrances, thc elevators 2'5 of the building are disposed inany suitable or dosred manner.

At the hase' of the light wcll 4, if desired, I provide space 9 for a power plant to operate the various main and'auxiliary engines, motors or other devices used in the operation of the building for business or other purposes, and a stack 1()for the steam generating and heatinff ap aratus may project centrally througi said light well.

The building is constructed with a skeleton metal frame, and the inner and'outer walls of the'building are properly tied and braced for mutual support so as to afford the maximum resistance to the wind pressures, seismic and other disturbances, and by reason of its curved-wall design, the strains imparted will be compensated for by the various ties and bracing struts. In addition "the Walls and floors will be of iireproof material, such as stone, brick or concrete, in combination with the usual metal reinforce.

At the'top of the building, I provide a substantially flat roof 15 having a raised edge 16 to form a gutter, and upon said roof I mount a tank 17 for the storage of Water; the installation of which enables me to construct a building of any height desired since with a roof tank of sullicient capacity the upper loors would always be in reach of adequate means for preventing the spread of iire.

The building as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, might be substantially the same size as a city square, and for such arrangement the rounded tower-like projections are designed for the corners of the s uare so as to rovide adequate entrances to t e building. he design of the entire structure insures a complete utilization of the space at hand; adequate supply of light and air for the internal as well as the external offices; adequate heat and power for operating the building for business urposes, and, in addition to its manner o construction, such adequate water supply as to render the building absolutely tire-proof.

In the form of buildin embodying my invention as disclosed in iigs. 4, 5 and 6, I have shown a structure particularly desirable for use on triangularly shaped lots, although not necessarily so limited, as it might be placed upon rectangular lots if it be desired that the building shall have a maximum amount of light and air. In this structure, a central building, comprising curved walls of the same general character as that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is arranged, and from this central building, successively smaller curved or semicireular additions 25, 26 and 27, extend in two directions as noted. These additions, which may be in line or at any an le instead of the angle noted, serve to brace tlie main building from two sides, and having curved outer Walls they oi'er the maximum resistance to wind pressure and seismic or other disturbances. In such a form of building, radial corridors 28 extending through the Wings join the corridors 5EL of the main or central section of the building, and entrances 6 are placed at the ends of the Wings and also at the central part of the projecting portion of the main building.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and b', the arc of the Walls of the main building and both additions or extensions thereto are in line on one side of the Whole structure, and the same condition is true of the Walls of the extensions to the buildings on the other side of the same; the curved portions being on general lines extending at an angleand meeting in front of the main entrance of the buildmg.

Vof which covers su stantially a This type of l.l.1il .ling has been designed and is particularly applicable for usein those sections of the world subject to seismic disturbances, as the arrangement of curved walls, some of `which are disposed concentrically and all of Vwhich are braced for mutuayl support, affords the maximum de ree of stability. By having a Water tank t e full size of the roof, amplemeans are provided for flooding the building in case of fire from any cause, thereby making the structure absolutely fire-proof.

I claim:

l. An earthquake roof structure the plan polygon, comprising a cylindrical main building having a curved outer wall and a concentric inner wall forming a central court, and a series of connected curved additions rejecting directly from said main cylindricaFbuilding, each side of the polygon being tangent to the main building and also tangent to at least two of the curved Wall additlons.

2. An earthquake roof structure the plan of which covers substantially a polygon, comprising a cylindrical main building having a curved outer Wall and a concentric inner Wallforming a central court, a corridor extendin around thebuilding between the inner an outer walls, and a series of curved additions 1proj ecting from said main building at severa points above its circumference, each side of the polygon being tangent to the main building and also tangent to at least two of the curved wall additions.

3. An earthquake roof structure the plan of which covers substantially a polygon, comprising a cylindrical main building having a curved outer wall and a concentric inner Wall forming a central court, and a plurality of connected curved Wall additions projecting from said main structure at one'or more points and extending to the to of the building, each side of the polygon bemg tangent to the main building and also tangent to at least two of the curved Wall additions, in combination with a curved Wall Water tank covering the roof of said structure.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE M. NEWHALL.

Witnesses:

MURRAY C. BOYER, WM. A. BARR. 

